Month: April 2025

It is called “Narcotanque” and is a nightmare in Mexico

by

The drug cartels are still a problem in Mexico. Also in other Latin American territories, but Mexico is the country that exemplifies How far they can go These organizations. They are present in segments as lucrative as the avocado culturehis violence It affects tourism And it is so widespread in the Mexican economy that already controls the 13% of products distribution. And nothing exemplifies both its power and influence as a vehicle. The drug tank. Narcochapuza. Before entering land vehicles, let’s talk about sailors. Not of the boats, but of something much more sophiscite: the Narcosubmarinos. Very handmade submersible vehicles at the beginning and more sophisticated over time They are the ones that the drug cartels use to cross the ocean and move tons of drugs on each trip. They were the answer to the need to move the drug produced. In the case of land vehicles, the need is not so much to move merchandise as protecting it, sow panic among enemies and demonstrate the power of each organization. Thus, about 15 years ago, and as we see in BBCNarcotanques began to appear: commercial vehicles available in the market that the cartels modified, adding armor layers to create something bungling and not very aesthetic, but functional. Monsters. The photo that opens this article is an example that it was not the most sophisticated work in the world, but fulfilled its mission of being a heavy vehicle with protection against conventional ammunition and with the ability to sow terror among the adversaries. Its appearance motivated the nickname of ‘monster’ or ‘vehiclerhinoceros‘And, like those first submarines, they were artisanal armored by the addition of steel plates between two and three centimeters thick, bases and sight points for machine guns and rifles, as well as reinforced front systems in case you had to collide with something. Photo of Vïctor González Photo of Vïctor González Narcotanques. Since the beginning of the last decade, these vehicles have extended between different bands due to their effectiveness sowing panic (imagine seeing a mole of these on your street) and because they resist impacts of the ammunition of the rival poster. But, as in the case of submarines, the cartels have begun to create increasingly sophisticated armored. They are still handmade and the welding lines or the fact that they use conventional vehicles can be seen, but in a short time they have passed from ‘fugitutes’ with steel sheets to vehicles that could go through a military tank. An example is the one shown by the youtuber Víctor González in this video: Ford Super Duty. The specs From this pickup they are spectacular. Available in 4×4 with V8 engines, load capacity of 3.6 tons and possibility to tow another 18 tons, the Ford Super Duty It is the dream of any average American, but also the base on which the drug traffickers have built a armored … spectacular. Photo of Vïctor González In González’s video we can see that not only have they adapted the camouflage patterns of military vehicles, but we cannot intuit what vehicle it is because the exterior is deeply modified. Steel plates that cover each millimeter, small crystals and with several inches shielding, small openings that can be closed and for those that appear guns of the rifles, protected inputs and even a 360º upper torrett system. Photo of Vïctor González As we said, there are elements that highlight, as the welds seen, but have shielded to the wheels. The price of such a modification? High: up to two million pesos, equivalent to about $ 100,000, as we read in Infobae. Others are more … discreet. They look like normal trucks, but they have a considerable caliber cannon inside: Capture. And it is not something that the drug traffickers have hidden: when a group has been having better armored ones, they have boasted both of them and the captures of similar vehicles of rival groups. It is still, as we said some lines, a sample of power and a powerful deterrent. Now, just like the drug traffickers capture ‘tanks’ of enemies, the authorities also have a decade ‘ensuring’ the drug trafficking. In recent years, the authorities have seized almost 300 of these armored vehicles, which they subsequently use in training centers of their police and military forces. In this way, security forces can know what tactics are drugs to shield vehicles, discover their weak points and perform maneuvers and simulations as realistic as possible. Also They destroy Those who are not useful. Relative effectiveness. And the big question, or one of them, may be how troops are these tanks in combat, and not as much as a deterrent. The answer depends a lot on who is facing. In that war against rival cartels, conflicts in the streets and even ‘standard’ police forces, these armored ones are useful. Against army forces with more prepared armored people and, above all, with greater technology, drug trafficking are not so effective. Now, they are modernizing. Groups such as the Gulf Cartel Han started to implement improvements that go beyond armor: software installed in vehicles that blocks the signal of enemy drones. What is clear is that these narcotanques have changed a lot in a few years, moving from very handmade vehicles to authentic moles with modern military capabilities. And it is another sample of the power of these organizations and how far they can go to protect their resources and end the rivals. Images | ZestymasterofzestyVíctor González In Xataka | Mexico plans 3,000 new kilometers of train for goods and passengers. The big question is what happens to the drug traffickers

China had never been an important actor in global oil production. That is starting to change

by

Recently, China has completed drilling of the vertical well of oil deeper from Asia, reaching a depth of 10,910 meters. At first glance, it may seem one more achievement In that career for megaestructurebut it is a symptom of something else: a strategy to reinforce your energy security and reduce its dependence on foreign crude. Record on record. In March 2025, China reached a new peak in its oil production, with an average of 4.6 million barrels per day, According to data cited by Global Times. This figure marks the culminating point of a trend that It has been in silence for years. Despite the fluctuations of the market, especially with the tariff war, Chinese production has continued to increase in a planned and sustained way. Drill, Baby, Drill. Or in Chinese: Zuan Ba, Bao Bei, Zuan Ba. This famous motto that is coined to Trump could also be applied to China. However, what happens in the Asian giant is a very different version. As He explained The energy analyst Javier Blas, Beijing is betting on squeezing his former conventional fields, many of them active from the Era of Mao. Summarizing it more easily: while in the US fracking and horizontal schist drilling They are based on profitabilityIn China, energy security is priority. In fact, state giants such as CNPC, Sinopec and Cnooc They have invested For years around 80,000 million dollars annually to sustain this strategy. In addition, the country is known for being a large importer of oil, so during these years the reserves were not known. However, in this growing silent production, According to Reutershas achieved a 167%replacement ratio. The state oil company CNOOC has declared that its proven reserves exceed 7 270 million barrels, which ensures stable production for the next 10 years. A strategy inwards. This year is fulfilled The established period for China’s autonomy with its “seven -year action plan to improve oil and gas exploration and development efforts”. Although its objective is not only to produce more, but to depend less and less abroad and not have to be subject to the tensions of global geopolitics. But for now …Keep importing and has changed a couple. Chinese refineries are importing Canadian crude record amounts after cutting American oil purchases at 90% due to commercial tensions. As has indicated Bloomberg, the expansion of a pipeline in western Canada, opened less than a year ago, has already provided China and other oil importers of the East Asian to greater access to the vast crude oil reserves in the Alberta tar sands region. Beyond its borders. China’s energy turn does not occur in a vacuum: it has direct implications for the rest of the world. In the first place, greater Chinese self -sufficiency will weaken the weight of export countries such as Saudi Arabia or Iraq, pressing further OPEC+ in its struggle for maintaining crude oil prices. With China pumping more oil locally, its demand for imports becomes more strategic and selective, displacing commercial flows and influencing the global barrel price. In addition, in this way you will have more autonomy to act in commercial tensions without compromising your energy supply. In short, it is sending a clear message: “Each barrel counts.” While the world looks at the Middle East or Texas, the real silent boom is happening in Asia. Image | China News Service and Pexels Xataka | Tariffs are already being charged to their first great victim of the global economy: the price of oil

Apple does not know how to meet their environmental goals, so they have started planting trees crazy

by

The Big Tech are in the middle of a change. Not that of artificial intelligence –that too-but that of Achieve carbon neutrality. On this path to decarbonization with Objectives for 2030 and 2050Apple is one of the companies that have the most interest in users to know that they care about the environment. In fact, in the presentation event of the iPhone 15 and of Apple Watch Series 9being one of the most important technological events of the year, the company shared a Fun video. In it, their mandamases met with the representation of the Earth to inform about their progress in reducing emissions, the installation of Solar panels in California and the increase in recycled materials on its devices. But renewables are not enough to achieve those objectives, and Apple has made the decision to plant tens of thousands of trees. He is doing it in Brazil with the aim of reconverting grasslands in forests that catch carbon, but everything that shines is not gold. A two times bigger forest than Manhattan There is a trend among companies that we are seeing in recent years. To reduce carbon emissions, it is not enough to install more renewable, reduce the consumption in your data centers and optimize transport. In Fast Company We read that these actions are not enough to reach the objectives and that the secret is in the direct capture of CO₂ (and there are controversy about it about its effectiveness). We are seeing how there are companies that are investigating the creation of buildings that capture carbon dioxide, but also experiments to discover What kind of trees They are the ones who catch the most. Apple ha reduced Emissions in 60% compared to 2015 and expect to reach 75% of a 2030. The problem is to exceed that figure and reach 100% in the face of 2050. Chris Busch is the Director of Environmental Initiatives of Apple and comments that they do not have “a clear line of vision of how to avoid these broadcasts today.” It seems that they have reached a point where the use of renewables is not enough and you have to move on to a new approach. “And that’s where nature comes to play a role,” says Busch. In 2021, Apple destination 200 million dollars to a fund to help in the creation of environmental and carbon elimination projects, something for which it promised additional 200 million dollars in 2023. During these last two years, different associations with the support of this member of the Big Tech have replanted more than 10,000 hectares in an area southwest of Brazil. The idea is to reconvert areas for grazing and livestock in forests that not only recover trees to capture CO₂, but also the return of local fauna such as rabbits and pumas to an ecosystem that had been very damaged by other types of activities. It is an effort part of a major program that seeks to restore almost 300,000 hectares of degraded land in Brazil, Uruguay and Chile. Apple is not only helping financially, but also at the technological level. And, obviously, this is not selfless. “What we intend is to generate financial performance as a investor in these projects,” says Busch. This yield will be in the form of lower payments for their CO₂ emissions and the manager also comments that the global objective is shared. “We have to reduce emissions as soon as possible, but also put an end to deforestation and increase carbon elimination to maintain within 1.5 degrees”He said. And this is not just about planting trees. The Cupertino are technologically supporting project monitoring, such as the measurement of the trees’s trunk diameter, but they are not the only ones. Google, goal or Microsoft have also created coalitions To plant trees and compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions, and companies that are not within that select group also have reforestation initiatives. It is not planting by planting Now, you have to be careful with the type of trees that are planted in these reforestation programs. And with other factors. In Fast Company they point to a controversy in this concrete reforestation because they are planting eucalyptus. They are trees with potential to evolve in punished terrain, such as ancient animals for animals, and grow rapidly absorbing large amounts of co₂. The problem is that reforestation reduces rainfall and eucalyptus, precisely, need water, so critics point out that these plantations will do will end underground water reserves. Also Questionable actions have been produced. In Pakistan, mass reforestation programs came into conflict with the practices of nomadic communities, something that has also occurred in places in China or Brazil itself. We must not go so far: in Europe we are reforesting huge areas with trees that are suitable for that reforestation, but that They may not reach 2100. The reason? They are species that or are not native or, even if they are planting without taking into account possible future pests or the effects of climate change. Research has also been carried out that the effectiveness of these projects is limited. As they comment on The Guardianmost of these projects do not generate real climatic benefits and there are areas that are being reforested in which there was no real risk of deforestation. The point by which some actions have been undertaken is due to the overestimation of the emissions avoided. And the study does not point to 10 or 20% of these reforestation actions, but 90% of them. As much as it may be, planting trees is positive whenever it is done with the head, but as Forrest Fleishman, an expert in mass plantation of trees, rather than planting trees, must be made. Images | Apple In Xataka | A study from satellite images has indicated the areas where the jungle could recover. Without human help

How many screens are too many screens

by

“Personally, I am convinced that these black glass surfaces inside the cars will leave it behind, sooner or later.” These words are from Matthias Junghanns, the biggest head of interior design of the BMW electric range, collected by Carscoop. We picked them up in 2022 because they seemed surprising. With the car market walking to “all screen”one of the most design responsible for the German brand unmarked the trend. In addition, in that same talk was Conny Blommé, head of Interiors of Polestar, who subscribed the words of Junghanns and assured that “everything has its maximum point, and probably the screens too. Most of the time, you travel in a car and enjoy more of the view than of the screens.” The statements were surprising Because, especially in BMW, the commitment to bring functions to cars screens have been maximum in recent years. To the point that they are capable of Sell ​​a car with a screen for the rear seats that crosses the entire car from side to side. But, in addition, BMW herself has fostered that jump No parachute to giant screens. To the point that it has been selling us for some time that their future cars will have A gigantic head-up display that can visualize all passengers with selected information at each point of it. We have focused on BMW For the incoherent of the matter but, much less, they are the only ones who have entered the swampy world of screens. In Volkswagen they say they want to go backafter they have been criticized for using touch buttons in each of the corners of its cabin. He Tesla Model 3 Renewed not only that it lacks buttons for the intermittent, it has also brought its transmission to the screen. AND Euro NCAP ensures that it will punish to cars that carry especially sensitive functions to it although, for the moment, the decision does not have much practical route. Yet, Mercedes has turned to his Hyperscreen and in the Smart It is mandatory to go through the screen for something as simple as deploying or modifying the vision of mirrors. And it does not seem that the thing will change. At least according to what was seen in the Shanghai Motor Show. How far are we going to get? “It’s not just about ‘how many’ screens are put but ‘what % occupy’ or how easy it is to capture your vision when you should not divert it from the road.” With these words our partner Javier Lacort describes, present at the Shanghai Motor Show, which he seen there. And it is that the event has been an example of how manufacturers are in full search to attract passengers and capture their attention. In China, this work has long been an essential part of manufacturers and The trend indicates that it will growespecially with the use of electric cars and greater autonomy of them. For example, if the car is stopped, you can act as a streaming or video game player but also if the car moves alone. In fact, Audi already has a screen For the passenger that allows you to reproduce applications such as YouTube with the car running. It uses a selective off that prevents the driver from visualizing the screen if the car is moving but does keep the entire level of brightness for the passenger. That work of capturing attention is essential and can become a recurrent income route for manufacturers. In fact, some analysts suggest that this is the reason why Byd will provide their More advanced autonomous car capabilities to its cheapest models. Unlike Tesla, which aspires to earn a lot of money With autonomous driving, they believe that a car that moves is only the Perfect opportunity to generate income With streaming platforms. “It is a trend in several Chinese brands, especially in ministering vans. Not only put a screen after the front headrest, but also put a much larger pantry in the center,” says our partner Javier Lacort that, in addition, points to us that Sony was presented with two concepts “one dedicated to the image and another to the audio” similar. “The idea is that those behind you are at home, with a giant screen, PlayStation …”. This same concept, to convert the back of a van into a living room with a disproportionate screen is not new either. Lexus has already played with this idea for his luxury minivans, a segment that is up to China where passengers value an extremely luxurious experience in their rear seats. We must think that cities in China are so large that most of the paths are made at low speed and are relatively long. Understand the rear seats or the cabin of the car as a HUB technological It is not uncommon. Especially in a country with very specific peculiarities. For example, there are those who turn their cars into Karaoke. It is something we have seen in some byd models but even, has led Tesla to adapt The local market. Already in the front seats, two trends. “Intel was clearly who made a more obvious bet. I counted 15 screens inside a car,” Lacort tells us. But it is not an isolated case. “Audi with his E5, his first Chinese car, opted for a screen that went side by side (including digital mirrors.” Intel proposal for the interior of our cars Intel proposal for the interior of our cars They are two proposals for the future of our cars. Obviously, Intel seems to be especially interested in showing their progress in this type of event and making clear the automobile industry that can count on them to fill the interiors of our screens cars. However, Audi’s proposal seems more elegant and, above all, realistic for the future. As the years have passed, more and more manufacturers are extending their screens from the instrument frame to the co -pilot. Either with continued surfaces or with a curved screen … Read more

Doping in meat

by

When competing at the highest level, extreme care must be taken because of the doping issue. A clear example of this was the case of tennis player Jannik Sinner, who He accepted a suspension Three months after a positive. The current tennis number one alleged that it was accidental, due to a massage made by its former physiotherapist. This type of situation reflects the growing concern about doping, something that is currently affecting the Norwegian relay team in China for the meat. Doping in meat. In May, two major athletics competitions in China will take place: world relays in Guangzhou and the Diamond League In Shanghai. At a time of preparations to take the flight, a concrete concern has emerged between athletes: the risk that meat in the country is contaminated with Clenbuterol, a prohibited substance. For this reason, Olympliatoppen, a division of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, has warned its athletes to extreme precautions and avoid the consumption of local meat during their stay. A dangerous substance. Although with low probability of positive, clenbuterol is a prohibited substance by the world anti -doping agency. The main use is as a bronchodilator in cattle animals to treat respiratory problems. However, its use He has been controversial Due to its anabolic effects, which promote the increase in muscle mass and fat reduction. In many countries, such as China, it has been illegally used to improve the performance of animals destined for human consumption, according to He explained The news agency. The risk is greater. The problem arises when athletes consume meat contaminated with Clenbuterol, since the substance can remain in the flesh during the sacrifice process and, if appropriate precautions are not taken, athletes can ingest it without knowing it. Although the effects of Clenbuterol are more notorious in high doses, their presence in small quantities It can trigger A positive result in anti -doping controls, due to its anabolic properties that affect physical performance. Athletes take precautions. Norwegian athletes Henriette Jaeger, bronze medalist at the World Cup, and Josefine Tomine Eriksenhan They have assured To the Norwegian NRK station that trusts experts: “I really enjoy eating meat, but you have to listen to professionals and trust them.” Eriksen, on the other hand, has affirmed that he will wear protein and cecina bars from Norway to cover his nutritional needs. Olympiatoppen has also warned about the importance of food hygiene during the stay in the Asian country, recommending consuming food only in high quality restaurants and hotels. A problem that was already coming from before. It is not the first time that China is wrapped in controversies by doping. Four years ago, country swimming It was under scrutiny When it was revealed that 23 swimmers positive for trimetazidine, a prohibited substance. Although the Chinese authorities attributed the results to accidental food pollution and the athletes were not sanctioned, the case generated international doubts about transparency and anti -doping controls in the country. But it is also global. Concern around this substance has also been detected in other countries, According to South China Morning Post. In fact, World Athletics, the governing body of world athletics, has indicated in ABC News That athletes and equipment are aware of these risks and take the appropriate precautions. No official response. However, like They have denounced in Reuters, the media has tried to obtain an official response from the Chinese Athletics Association, but have not received any statement. This silence on the part of the authorities has highlighted uncertainty about how the problem will be managed. An issue that goes beyond sport. The possibility of food pollution is a real risk for athletes, but it has also become one of the most common excuses when they face a positive doping. The case of Tenista Sinner It has been especially controversial: Despite his allegation of accidental doping for a massage, he was suspended only three months, a sanction that many inside the tennis They have considered A too indulgent measure. Nor is it a new argument. In 2010, cyclist Alberto Contador alleged having ingested meat contaminated with Clenbuterol in Irún, but It was also sanctioned and lost the Tour of France 2010 and the 2011 turn. In a context where the line between negligence and intentionally trap is increasingly difficult to draw, the debate on food doping not only remains open: it becomes increasingly uncomfortable. Image | Sandro Halank and Marcos González Xataka | For years, “fecal doping” is a problem in elite sport. Now science wants to democratize it

Every week, millions of flies are released on the Valencia Community and, although it does not seem like it, it is a sensational idea

by

The Valencia war against the Mediterranean fruit fly dates back more than thirty years and is A constant reminder That going to war against an insect is never easy. It is not a reminder that is needed, the truth. Hundreds of regions around the world fight their particular conflicts with All kinds of insects, fungi or bacteria. If Valencia is important, it is something else. For a factory in caudete of the sources. An army of flies. Since at least 2017, the one we know today as Valencian Center for Genetic Fight It has been releasing hundreds of millions of flies weekly to combat pests. The technique is not new, but in this Valencian municipality they have led it to its maximum expression. Not for nothing is the largest bioplant in Europe and the second largest in the world: a reference in what is called “sterile insect technique”. Sterile insect? Yes, it is “a method of biological pest control that is based on raising males of the same species to fight that they are sterilized by irradiation.” These sterile males They are released to the fieldwhere they compete with wild males due to mating with females, “reducing plague levels by not giving rise to offspring.” Is a solution that “has been used in agriculture of multiple countries and in various flies and beetles. In addition, it is studied to fight against mosquitoes, in particular the Aedes“vectors of diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.” And is it viable? According to the Valencian example, it seems that. Although the regional government Spend about eight million Of euros a year, it has become a key piece in the defense of a sector that moves more than 10,000 million only in the region. As explained in the country: “In recent years there has been a very pronounced decrease in hectares of citrus treated with chemicals through aerial media (from about 330,000 at the beginning of the 21st century to just a few thousands of hectares today).” That is, it is a relatively cheap and quite effective project that also allows Very specific interventions And safe: “Since sterile males generally only appear with females of their own species, little effect on ecosystems is expected, unlike insecticides, which are toxic to many different species.” An increasingly present future. A few years ago, Manuel F. HerradorProfessor of the UDC Civil Engineering School, he said that in the future, they will be horrified how much of our way of building was summed up in two words: brute force. Something like this will happen when technology historians look at how we cultivate during the 20th century. Now, little by little, we are recovering (and creating) other ways to intervene in the nature much more intelligent, powerful and effective. Font caudete is just the beginning. Image | AlvesGaspar | THAT In Xataka | These mosquitoes are genetically modified to resist the four dengue virus serotypes and avoid their propagation

Through the nuns of Tiktok

by

The death of Pope Francis is promoting The reproduction figures of ‘conclave’but it is not the only recent manifestation of Catholicism in networks. In recent months we are attending the growth of a new (not young) generation of Influencers that communicates the vericuetos of his faith adapting the teachings to the new times: his last visible head are nuns who use Tiktok to give details about life in the monastery, prayer and other issues that until now remained hidden. More cases. The last to viralize, following the recipe book of the Italian Sor Claudia and its more than 113,000 followers It has been Sr. Martaa Spanish nun with 64,000 followers in Tiktok and 38,000 on Instagram that focuses on advice for young people to face issues such as prayer or vocation and that makes special emphasis on the products that cook the nuns of its congregation. It also uses the profile to answer unusual questions, such as “How much do the nuns charge?”which explains naturally, or to enter issues that have some controversy coming from a nun, from tattoos to sexuality. Many of these more extensive issues Treat them on YouTube. To Jesus. “If Jesus were at this time he would use social networks because in his time he sought all ways to reach people” affirms One of the most followed religious in Tiktok, the sister Josefina Cattaneo (More than 208,000 followers), Argentine nun who is another of the great stars of this trend. It defines itself as a “nun of the town” and shares style with the rest of the Tiktok nuns: they explain how life is within the convent by removing all the mystique, as if they were a group of friends who spend the day praying. Routines, celebrations and leisure moments and monastic life is demystified. Monacal life versus influencer life. Undoubtedly, the striking of the large number of nuns who tell their life in Tiktok accounts is the contrast that, for the rest of mortals, there is between the supposedly prison and secret life within an order and the very nature of the social network, which consists of expose yourself as much as possibleeven with a point of vanity and exhibitionism that, of course, we do not associate the religious. What many of these nuns have achieved is to appropriate the tics and language of social networks (Trendsfilters, memes), which follow in their own way, and with a very clear objective: a face washing for the Catholic Church. Less nuns. The number of vocations It has decreased Notably in recent years. In 2022, the last year of which you have data, the number of nuns and Closing monks It was about 7,906. Throughout the last decadebetween 2012 and 2019, the number decreased by 19.8%, from 10,889 to 8,739. The vocations have also fallen: the Middle Ages of the nuns It already exceeds 75 years In most communities, which betrays the lack of generational relief. The lack of nuns reaches the point that in Spain closes more than one female convent per month for lack of vocations. Catholic wave. Not only does this type of account have propelled the death: there is a whole trend of Influencers Catholics that propose a very similar content, making the language of Tiktok and subviring it in the unexpected direction of prayer and recollection. Perhaps the most popular are the Twin Melody, famous for their dances, but also Very devout When the time comes. Of course, there are also crew of priests Network fans, although one of the most unique is Judith de Jesusbiotechnological and ex-monja engineer that focuses its content, however, on very didactic videos about Catholicism and its customs. Why they go viral. The question is obvious: what is attractive to this content, beyond the religious affiliation of each one, so that it is viral and disseminate. Without a doubt the spontaneity of the nuns and the Revelation of “secrets” of the convent (the schedulesthe routinesfun, sense of humor) It seems to be counterintuitive: to the solemnity and mysticism that is supposed to a convent, these inevitably attractive personalities are opposed, since we are fascinated to see what is hidden in monasteries and in a way of life that is increasingly common. In Xataka | From nuns Reposteras to rebels: why these religious from Burgos cut with Rome and deny the last six popes

The players of ‘Gran Tourism’ thought that the RUF were the Porsche de Hacendado. They were the opposite

by

The fancy It is an essential element in video games. It can be the theme, such as medieval fantasy of a ‘Dark Souls‘, but it can also be the relative to the fantasy of power in a game like’God of War‘ either ‘Civilization VII‘. The cars games They satisfy our fantasies to pilot the car of our dreams, unless your dream was to pilot a Porsche at 250 km/h in the most famous simulator of its time. Because there what breaks fantasy is something as earthly as … money. Luckily for years a brand went to the rescue of lovers of German sportsmen: Ruf. The problem. You are a young car enthusiast, buy the driving simulator on duty and discover that you can drive a Lambo, a Ferrari and brands of brands you didn’t even know, but not the one you really want: a Porsche. With the naivety of childhood, you did not imagine that a more ‘cheap’ brand that others were not in your video game, but at least you could be content with RUF. RUF cars looked like a tuning Porsche and it wasn’t what you wanted, either had their shield, but it served you. You thought it was like the ‘Pro Evolution Soccer‘When they modified the names of the players whose license belonged to the’ FIFA ‘saga, but you kept wanting to drive a Porsche and did not understand that the’ Need for Speed ​​’had the brand and’ Gran Tourism ‘no. Blessed (and damn) licenses. Because in video games, licenses are a blessing, but also a problem. Let’s go back to football sagas. While in FIFA we had Cafu, Rivaldo Oa Ronaldinho, in PES we had Facu, Ravoldi Ya Naldorinho. His gestures and faces simulated real players, but their names were, as little, original. The reason? The Japanese football saga did not have the licenses of real players, competitions or teams. And it happens with everything, really. We recently told you how there are extremely similar weapons to the real in shooting games, but many times the names are invented because The corresponding license has not been paid. And if we get into the subject of Royal Group SongsIt is a curious eggplant. There are games that have been edited through a patch to eliminate songs whose license has expired (‘GTA IV‘, for example) and others that have completely disappeared (‘Spec Ops The Line‘). Electronic Arts. It is as simple as, if you want to show a real person, a song, a weapon or whatever in a video game, those responsible for it must pay the brand. And this is something very juicy for companies, since they can promote their video game, precisely, with that license they have paid. In the case of cars, all brands included in a video game receive money for your rightsbut with Porsche he went one step further. At the beginning of the century, Electronic Arts was very strong in the field of driving with its saga ‘Need for Speed’. Before launching at night street races and cars modifications, in 2000 ‘Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed 2000’, a video game in which it should not be explained what Marca was the protagonist. The problem (for the rest of the companies)? That EA and Porsche signed an exclusivity agreement that lasted 15 years. Porsche 911 Carrera to the left, Ruf ‘YellowBird’ on the right RUF. Since then, the EA saga had Porsche cars that we could even modify, but in simulators like ‘Gran Turismo 2‘The mythical firm was not. In others like ‘PROJECT GOTHAM RACING‘ either ‘Forza Motorsport‘We also had Porsche, but this was the result of an agreement between Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Porsche herself. Now, why do you remember that you could conduct a Porsche 911 career in the ‘Grantu’? Very easy, because the Porsche 911 Carrera was in the ‘Grantu’. Well, more or less. The one that was Ruf, and a mythical model of ‘Gran Turismo 2’ was the RUF CRT YellowBird of 1987. Aesthetically, it was a Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 and, precisely, what Ruf does in reality, outside Gran Turismo, is to modify Porsche cars in such a deep way that it is considered a totally independent brand. Porsche was created in 1931 and RUF In 1936 and what they do is build their cars on a bare chassis of Porsche, but using their own engines, suspensions, gearbox or body elements. In short: it is not a Porsche with steroids, it is something else At the legal level. The work is so deep that they are legally considered Ruf cars, not Porsche, and that is the reason why some games without Porsche’s license could have cars like the Porsche of our dreams, but without the shield or name of Porsche. What would happen to me and you will think that that YellowBird was the 911 race of ‘Gran Turismo 2’ with a different name and slightly different body because they could not have the Porsche brand, but as I explain, we were wrong: it was not a false car, but totally real. Happy end. That is why the RUF brand was in games like the ‘Gran Turismo’ or ‘Driveclub‘Instead of a Porsche that appeared in other sagas, next to RUF in case of’Forza Horizon 4‘. However, in 2016 the license agreement between the German firm and Electronic Arts expired, which allowed other racing games to incorporate the mythical German house. And a sample of the desire that ‘Gran Tourism’ had to have Porsche in its catalog is that the brand itself detailed The dozens of models in the latest installment of the saga … and that on the cover of ‘Gran Turismo 7‘Porsche VGT appears next to Mazda Rx Vision GT3. Now, we can pilot a 911 in almost any game, but those of us who grew up with RUF and ‘Gran Tourism’, we will never forget the mythical YellowBird. Images | Xataka, Porsche, Norbert Aepli, Gran Tourism In Xataka | It seemed an impossible enemy, it … Read more

Before the lack of steel, the ships of World War II began to be built with an unusual material: concrete

by

Close your eyes and think about the main material of a ship. Quite possibly Wood is the first Let it come to mind, and it is normal: we have millennia sailing in wooden ships, and we continue to do so. But it is also logical that the steel that dominated the XX and XX shipsand the Current marine monstersit is around ideas. And most likely you have not thought of another material: the concrete. But yes, for 150 years we were creating concrete ships, and far from crazy, it was the most logical idea. And even used in the first and Second World War. A Frenchman. A good day from the mid -nineteenth century, a French man named Joseph-Louis Lambot It occurred to him to build a boat. Not anyone: one of reinforced concrete. There was a problem: in 1848, they had no idea what reinforced concrete was. This material, basically, is the mixture between concrete and steel. Both combine to create something with much greater structural resistance and has been since their invention the basis of the most imposing, dams and almost any construction of the last century. Well, it was Joseph-Louis that came up with the two materials. At least, I know attribute The invention of reinforced concrete to this man. As always, there is controversy with the dates, with whom he patented the reinforced concrete, who built the first slab, etc. But well: Lambot wanted to prove his invention and built a small boat less than four meters with the aim of exhibiting it in the Universal Exhibition of Paris of 1855. Enough advantages. Basically, the interior was wire mesh covered by cement and Lambot’s idea was to completely replace the wood. The invention liked it, but it really did not attract the attention of ship manufacturers. Some barges were created for European channels, but little else. Everything changed when the Italian engineer Carlo Gabellini built the Liguria in 1896. It is the one we consider as the first reinforced concrete ship designed to navigate on the high seas. And, really, it made sense to create reinforced concrete ships. It is a material that has great corrosion resistance, so the marine environment does not damage the helmet, reducing maintenance (that also has it) and extending its useful life. It offered good thermal insulation, so perishable resources could be transported in better conditions and there were no fire problems. The Namsenfjord In the absence of bread … A few years later, the construction of these concrete ships expanded and other countries began to build, especially freighters. But of course, we are in 1914 and that means something happened: the World War I. And beyond the advantages of concrete against other materials, the world was forced to create concrete ships for a very simple reason: There was no steel. The militarization and industrialization of the belligerent forces caused a situation of Steel shortage. The ships were important, since the naval supremacy It has always been a determining factor in a conflict, but with the steel necessary for a destroyer you could create many other things. And the problem is that they had to continue building ships because there were resources to move worldwide. World War I. The revolution came with the Namsenfjorda Norwegian ship that, in 1917, showed that self -propelled concrete ships could be made. It was 26 meters in length and weighed a whopping 400 tons and most importantly: the United States saw that there was a potential in these ships beyond serving as charges propelled by an auxiliary ship. Thus, they created the Emergency Fleet Corporation program with the aim of producing 24 concrete ships. It was a failure: those who completed themselves, did it after the war, so it had to be allocated in other things. One was the SS FAithwhich was going to serve in the war, but in the end it remained to be used in transport work in the United States. It was thrown in 1919, it was in service until in 1921 it was sold to Cuba and had a length of 97.54 meters. A year after Faith, the SS Selmaa huge reinforced concrete mole of 129.54 meters in length that was launched just the day when Germany signed the Treaty of Versaillesending the First World War. It ended up using as a oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico. With candles and a secondary support motor Demolish disadvantages. With the finished war, interest in the construction of concrete ships deflated. It still had advantages, because building them was much cheaper than making them in steel or iron, but if we mentioned a series of advantages, it is important to know the disadvantages (which exceed them, and by far). To match the resistance of a steel helmet, the concrete is thicker, which has several limitations. On the one hand, it weighs more, so it also has a major draft, the displacement of the ship is slower and more fuel is needed. That is thicker implies that there is less interior space for load, since the useful volume is reduced. That weight makes engines must be more powerful and that fuel tanks are also greater, so the investment in this part is greater. The dike to build it must also be monstrous because you cannot weld parts, such as steel, and then there is resistance to impacts. Second World War. The metal breaks, yes, but it has a greater elasticity than the concrete. This material, however, is much more fragile to impacts. A collision causes a crack in the helmet, and this on a ship that weighs so much is a conviction. That is why, after the great war, the concrete ship project was abandoned, leaving its construction practically limited to the loading barges, but then World War II arrived, and the steel needs of the previous one were repeated. However, the US program was not as ambitious as the one that began 20 years before and yes, concrete ships were … Read more

His gene generation has responded becoming “Rata People”

by

Current China little or nothing has to do with the abnegated China in growth of the late 90s. Social and labor pressure that is being exercised with the youth of the Z generation that have grown since then it is generating a new social movement: more and more young, exhausted and without resourcesthey are grouped under the term “Rata People.” SCMP account that “rat people” represents the most extreme version of the Chinese movement “do nothing” (Lying Flat) that, such and as he published BBC, emerged as a form of rebellion against the strenuous working days of 72 hours per week and the 996 work culture (From nine in the morning to nine at night, six days a week). Far from embarrassing, many young people celebrate publicly Its economic dependence of parents and their rejection of the idea that hard work is the only way to success. A generation in existential crisis and rebellion. According to The published by Business InsiderChinese youth live an existential crisis fed by social and labor pressure. After decades of economic growth, young Chinese of generation Z, are facing a much more competitive labor market than their parents, while they must assume family responsibilities and deal with the high cost of housing. “I refuse to be as a dependent. I defend the name of the rat people,” he claims a user in a message collected by Business Insider. This situation is aggravated by the education received from Tiger parentsin which parents invest great sums in the education of their children in the hope of ensuring a better future, generating A fierce competition And a feeling of generalized exhaustion. The Chinese pendulum. Bringing young people to these demand limits has generated a pendulum effect in them from which movements such as “have emerged”So ping“(throw yourself on the floor) and” bai lan “(let it rot), which channel the apathy and disenchantment of a generation that feels No motivation and without perspectives Of the future clear. These trends have evolved towards more visible forms of protest, such as going to work to work or, directly, withdraw from working life to become “rat people”, which remains all day In bed without doing anythingshowing his fed up with a society that demands sacrifices without offering tangible rewards. “After three years of hard work, I finally made my parents realize that having a job was not generating wealth,” said a young woman in the Chinese Social Network Rednote. The antithesis of cryptobros. The new Chinese form of philosophical protest is the antithesis of the productivist currents of the badly called Cryptobroswhich presume disciplined routines, early risersand exercise sessions At five in the morning. Zhang Yong, a social worker from the province of Hubei, in downtown China, told SCMP that “rat people” reflected a broader tendency of “social withdrawal” among young people. “It is a passive coping mechanism after setbacks. They reduce social contact and simplify their lives to recover,” said Yong. While in the West, self -examination and constant effort are glorified, the Chinese young people claim a minimalist and unpretentious lifestyle, deliberately moving away from the success and glamor image that predominates in social networks. “Rat people want to be exactly the opposite of the rest of the self -disciplined and glamorous Internet that goes to the gym,” Ophenia Liang, director of Digital Crew, a marketing agency specialized in Asia in Asia The cultivation broth. The rise of “rat people” is directly related to China’s economic situation. The country is going through a significant industrial slowdown, in which the IMF foresees a fall in the Growth estimate at 4% by 2025. Weakening of Yuan Chinese and the Tariff war with the US They reflect instability and uncertainty for the country’s economic future. Youth unemployment is one of the key factors behind this phenomenon. In March 2025, the unemployment rate among young people aged 16 to 24 reached 16.5%, after having touched a historical record of 21.3% in June 2023. For many, even getting a job implies undergoing the exhausting culture “996”, which has led to a part of the youth to completely reject the traditional work model and Find more sustainable alternatives and less sacrificed. New ways of understanding work and future. According to ERIC FU statements, principal researcher of the Youth Research Collective of the University of Melbourne, popularity these philosophical tendencies between China’s generation should not be seen only as a generational defeat, but as an evolution in the way of understanding work and life. “This shows that people are beginning to seriously reflect on the work they really want to do and the meaning of their life. It also demonstrates that Chinese society has diversified in a certain sense,” FU recalled. Although many of these young people can afford this lifestyle thanks to their parents’ savings, it does not mean that they want to live like this forever. In Xataka | China’s future after being the great Western factory In Xataka | The simple suspicion of being Pro-Japan can sink your brand in China: it is happening to a beverage company Image | Unspash (Slyfox Photography, Dylann Hendricks)

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.